The Kumbha Stampede
No doubt the Kumbha Mela is the biggest gathering of humanity in the world—where families, devotees and elderly pilgrims gather at the meeting point of rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati once every 12 years. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has long been trying to utilise the event as an occasion to reenergise their Hindutva ideology. At least 30 people have died and dozens of others have been injured in a stampede. The BJP government of Uttar Pradesh expected around 100 million people to visit the site and yet they didn’t make adequate safety arrangements while spending lavishly for propaganda to derive political dividend in elections. The authorities were so inhuman that they sent back the dead bodies to the respective states without death certificates and post-mortem reports. As a result relatives of the deceased faced enormous difficulties in cremation. Too much attention to VIPs seems to be the main reason for inadequate arrangement for common people.

For the BJP the ‘Kumbha’ of 2025 symbolises Hindu renaissance under their leadership. After Ram temple in Ayodhya, they are marketing ‘Kumbha’ with religious ferocity, both here and abroad. The banias know how to capitalise on religion. By organising such a mammoth mass mobilisation, one saffron ideologue showed his audacity to mock at Marx’s famous ‘opium’ comment.

Despite restrictions on Muslim participation in the Kumbha and opening of businesses, the tragedy of stampede on Mauni Amavasya (January 29, 2025) proved to be a pivotal moment, bringing people together across religious divides. In the spirit of unity and compassion, prayers were offered at Dargah for wellness of those injured in the stampede. In a heroic act, Farhan Alam saved the life of devotee Ram Shankar with CPR. Sikhs and Muslims selflessly served by providing food to Kumbha devotees, while Mosques were opened for shelter with beds and blankets to thousands of helpless devotees.
A Correspondent

End Violence in Manipur
Biren Singh’s resignation presents in Manipur the opportunity for the authorities to uphold and ensure human rights for everyone, break with the violence and impunity of the past and work towards ending the ethnic violence in the state which has claimed the lives of more than 250 people in the last two years. The (BJP)-led governments at both state and central level have utterly failed to end the violence in Manipur, impunity of vigilante groups, and the divisive rhetoric that has flamed the ethnic violence. Their actions have led to repression of dissenting voices and an abject humanitarian crisis in the state.

By the continued failure to hold to account those suspected to be responsible for serious human rights violations, the government risks sending the message that the impunity for these violations will continue. This in turn will fuel further violations. Unlike the emblematic cases taken over by the Central Bureau of Investigation, like the case of the gang-rape of two Kuki women in May 2023 that found the Manipur police complicit – many lesser-known ones continue to struggle for attention of the state and central governments. This must change.

Since May 2023, more than 60,000 people have been displaced in Manipur due to the ongoing violence between the dominant ethnic community, the Meities and the other minority ethnic communities including the Kukis. Homes, business, villages and places of worship have been burnt down, attacked, looted and vandalised.

The resignation of Biren Singh comes after the Supreme Court of India earlier this month ordered for a sealed-cover report from the Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory into audio tapes that allegedly had him saying that the ethnic violence in the state had been instigated at his insistence.
Aakar Patel
 Amnesty International, India

BSF Brutality
FatemaBewa, 70, widow of Late Hachen Ali, a resident of Seuti-II village, Dinhata-II Block, Cooch-behar, West Bengal.on 06/02/2025, around 11:30 AM, while returning from the fair price shop with her grandsons, was brutally assaulted by BSF personnel near 17 No. Gate. BSF Constables Ashok Kumar, Rajesh Mallik Kumar, and a female constable without a nameplate stopped them, citing previous disputes over land. Despite her repeated pleas, the BSF personnel began beating her with sticks, grabbing her hair, and throwing her to the ground. When her grandsons tried to intervene, they were also assaulted. Fatema Bewa sustained severe injuries to her head, forehead, back, and limbs and lost consciousness.

She was taken to Dinhata Sub-Divisional Hospital, where she received treatment for two days. After discharge, she lodged a written complaint at Sahebganj Police Station on 10/02/2025, but no FIR has been registered yet nor police / BSF enquiry initiated. This inaction raises concerns about police - BSF collusion and attempts to shield the accused. The victim remains in pain and requires further medical / psychological attention.

Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) has urged the Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission, to intervene and take immediate action.
Kirity Roy,
Secretary, MASUM

Peddling Fantasies as “News”
Over 50 crore people taken dip in Mahakumbha. Just think of it. India’s total population is estimated to be 145 crore or thereabouts. (Don’t bother too much that it’s now 14 years or so since the last Census.) So, “over 50 crore” means more than one in every three. But, had you and your family members been there? How many among your acquaintances? That’s a very simple test.
So, that’s the Times of India, the largest newspaper group in India having large footprints in the electronic media too, for you. And it’s not only the TOI alone. It’s the Indian MSM today.
Sukla Sen

Protest in Delhi University
On 27th November, AISA along with other organisations of Delhi University held a protest at the gate of the Vice Chancellor’s office demanding immediate termination of the Principal of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, Arun Kumar Attree. Since there has been a complaint filed by Sumit Chauhan, a Dalit student of SBSC of physical assault and casteist abuse, the police are yet to file an FIR. Even after ten days.

Students and teachers demanded that Attree be removed from a position which gives him access to tamper with evidence and inquiry. At the protest, AISA DU President Shantanu spoke, “We have filed the complaint more than a week back. The police are shamelessly delaying the inquiry giving enough time to Attree to play his move. We demand that he be immediately removed from his position of power which he is known to abuse.”
Prof Abha Dev Habib, Faculty at Miranda House said, “our University has been surrendered to casteist lumpens who feel that they have complete immunity. We stand with Sumit and we will make an example out of Attree that DU will not tolerate casteism!” Prof Rudrashis Chakraborty, faculty at KMC said, “we salute Sumit and his brave fight against casteism. The VC must answer how Attree gets this liberty to do so to a student.”

A delegation consisting of Prof Abha Dev, AISA DU President Shantanu and Sumit along with other students submitted a memorandum at the VC Office demanding the removal of Arun Kumar Attree from SBSC and aid in the police inquiry.
ML Update

Sumoud
Palestinians’ future is going up in flames. Ancient olive groves are being set ablaze in the West Bank. In Gaza, parents still search for their children’s bodies beneath the scorched rubble.

I’ve been beaten, shot, and put in jail for defending my people’s right to be free, but I’ve never been more terrified for Palestine.

Trump wants to drive two million of Palestinians into the deserts of Egypt and Jordan–he’s even suggested Israel should take over the West Bank. If he succeeds, Palestine will be erased.

But he’s underestimating one thing: Sumoud. Sumoud is defiant resilience–in Palestine, it means forging an unbreakable spirit; planting hope in the ashes of destruction. This is how Palestinians endured for generations–and with global support, it is how they will continue.

Avaaz has identified Sumoud networks–brave grassroots leaders developing brilliant ways to defend their communities–emerging across Palestine. They bring seeds into Gaza to fight starvation, guard olive groves from arsonists, turn motorcycles into ambulances when bombs rain from the sky, and much more. With the support of peace-loving people across the world Avaaz can scale these networks, saving lives, land, and Palestinian future.

Extremists like Trump seek to radicalise everyone with every tragedy, every loss and every act of hate–pushing Palestinian people deeper into a spiral of violence. Activists who are risking everything to build a different future with every seed planted, arson stopped and community fed, need help now.
Fadi Quran, Avazz

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Frontier
Vol 57, No. 36, March 2 - 8, 2025